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Unirse Strafrns Parent Ormea.

EDVRD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO E. J. BROOKS & CO., OF NEV YORK, ll. Y.

BAGGAGE-SEAL.

SPECFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314.16%. dated 17,1885.

Appliratitu filed January 1%15.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. Bnooits, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Seals, (T,) of which the followingisaspecication.

This invention, in common with several seal inventions heretofore patented by me, relates to improvements in the method ofand means for sealing, fastening, or securely uniti-ng the,

ends oflexible shackles of tin77 (tin-plate.)

The presentinvention is more partic'nlarlyadditional to my improvement in-seals (XX) patented May (i, 188i, (United States Letters Patent No. 29S,168;) and it consists in animproved seal composed of' a hard and brittle disk of peculiar construction and apeculiarly punched tin shackle, simple punching by means of ordinary plier-punches snfiicing to fasten the seal at the sealing operation and to unite the parts preliminarily to facilitate carrying and applying them, whiletherespective shackle ends are held in the seal-disk independently oleach other and in a uniform and secure manner, and the seatdisk is thin,of light weight, and peculiarly convenientto handle, as compared with other hard and brittle seal parts.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this speci cation as part thereof'.

Figure l ofthese drawings is an elevation of a shackle and seal disk as united preliminarily. Fig. 2 is anfedge view of the same as applied to a pair of car-door staples by way of' example, illust-rating the fastening` operation.

. Fig.3 is an edge view ofthe fastened seal. Figs.,V

122x, and 3x are magnified sectional views corresponding with Figs. 1, 2, and 3, respectively; and Fig. 3 is a magnified face view of the fastened seal.

Like letters of reference indicate the saine parts in the several figures;

This improved seal is composed of afleXible shackle, A, of tin, (tin-plate,) and a hard and brittle seal-disk, B, preferably of Babbitt metal.77 rlhe shackle before it is united with the seal-disk is an ordinary rectangular strip sheared from the commercial sheet ofthe metal, but is preferably colored and provided with printed distinguishing marks m (either or (X0 model.)

both) on one side, as indicated in Fig. 3l, to

render counterfeiting difiicnlt or impossible. The seal-disk is cast in suitable molds,and may beV provided therein with permanent distin guishing-marks, or may subsequently be colored. so as to distinguish the sealdisks approprinted to particular roads or users, as set forth in my specification forming part of said patent of May 6, 1884. Said seal-disk is constructed of about the size and shape of asmall pressed sealdisk of lead, but with smooth rounded edges, and so as to confine the eX- tremities of the shackle within it, whereby it is rendered easy to handle in applying it and inspecting the seal. Handlingit, and its manufacture as well, are further facilitated by its adaptation to be used as it is picked up, with either side thereof' as its face. while it serves none the less when united p'reliminarily with the shackle, as shown in Figs. l and 2, to insure the exposure of the printed face of the latter. To these ends, and with reference to the peculiar punching of the shackle aforesaid,the seal-disk has a threading-hole, h, Figs. l, 2X, 3*, extending inward parallel to its sides, and nearly but not quitethrongh thedisk. Below this is a solid bottom, b, against which the extremities of the inserted shackle ends abut, as shown at the left in Fig. 2x. Perpendicular to Vthe sides of the seal-disk a pair of central punching-apertures, c e?, extend inward from its respective sides. Vith one end of the shackle inserted for preliminarily uniting the parts, it is punched through the aperture a2, for example, its back being toward this aperture, and a strong retaining-burr, b', is formed within the other aperture. a', the walls of the latter cooperating with the punch to set the metal of the burr perpendicular to the face of' the shackle. This may preferably be done at the factory, and the seals be shipped in the state represented by Figs. 1,1. Vhen the second shackle end is inserted, after passingit 4through a pair of car-door staples, O, Figs. 2

IOO

sured. The fastening-punch is now inserted posed of a ilexible shackle of tin or like sheet through said burr b, as indicated in Fig. 2, and alike burr, b2, is formed on said second shackle end within said aperture a?. The seal as thus completed is represented by Figs. 3, 3x, Sz.

Instead of Babbitt metal in modifications of this invention, I may use type-metal or other hard and brittle metallic alloys which melt at a 10W temperature, so as to be handled more or less nearly like lead, andinstead of tin other hard sheet metals may be used without departing from the spirit of this invention.

Having thus described my said improvement in seals, (T,) I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification- The'Within-described improved seal corn metal and a hard and brittle sealdisk of Babbitt metal or the like, the latter constructed with a th reading-hole extending nearly but not quite through the seal-di sk parallel to its sides, a pair of punching-apertures formed in and perpendicular to the respective sides of the disk, and a solid bottom to engage With and mask the extremities of the shackle ends, retaining-burrs being formed on both. shackle ends Within the respective punching-apertures, so that both ends are uniformly and se eurely fastened, as herein set forth.

EDWARD J. BROOKS.

Witnesses: Y J. S. JENNINGs, HENRY L. C. WENK. 

